Electric railway



(No Model.) s sheets sheet 1.

G. WESTINGHOUSE, Jr.

ELECTRIC RAILWAY.

.No. 550,465; I Patented Nov. 26, 1895.

(No Model.) 3.-Sheets- --Sheet 2.

G. WESTINGHOUSE, Jr. ELECTRIC RAILWAY.

No. 550,455. I Patented Nov; 25, 1895.

ANDREW B.GRAHAMxPfiOTO-LIYHEWASHINGTDPLRC (No Model.) l 3 SheetsSheet a.G. WESTINGHOUSE Jr. ELECTRIC RAILWAY Patented Nov. 26, 1895.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

GEORGE WESTINGHOUSE, JR, or PITTSBURG, PENNSYLVANIA.

ELECTRIC RAILWAY.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 550,465, dated November26, 1895. Application filed June 13,1890. Serial No- 355,332. (Nomodel.)

T0 at whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, GEORGE WEsTINe- HOUSE, Jr., of Pittsburg, in thecounty of Allegheny and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new anduseful Improvem ent in Electric Railways, of which the following is aspecification.

My invention relates to the contact devices of electric railways usingoverhead conductors for conveying and distributing the electric energyto the cars, and particularly to the supporting-arm which carries thetrolley or collector.

It has heretofore been customary to make use of collectors which makecontact either with the upper surface or the under surface of theconductor. These devices are known as upper anc under contacts.Sidecontact devices consisting of trolleys mounted upon and supported bythe conductors are old.

My invention relates to that class of sidecontact collectors which aresupported by the car, and it has important advantages in construction,maintenance, and operation over upper and under contacts.

To enable others skilled in the art to make and use my invention, I willnow describe it by reference to the accompanying three sheets ofdrawings, in which- Figure 1 is a side elevation of a street-carprovided with one form of my improved sidecontact construction. Fig. 2is an end elevation of the car. Fig. 3 is a detail view of thecontact-arm. Figs. 4 and 5 are modifications of the contact-arm. Fig. 6is a cross-section on co :0, Fig. 4. Fig. 7 is a modified form of thecollector.

Like letters of reference indicate like parts.

At any suitable place on the top or roof of the car a is abase plate orstep b, to which is hinged in suitable lugs 0, so as to swing laterallyto the length of the car, a rigid arm or pole cl, which is furthersupported by pivoted braces e to prevent motion longitudinally of thecar. The upper end of the arm d is hollow or tubular for the purpose ofreceiving a round rod or tube f, which fits loosely enough within thebore to be capable of both axial and radial movement therein, and isprovided at its outer end with the electrical contact piece or collectorg. The collector g is preferably made of a tapering or inverted-bellform, having a wide flange g to extend over the top of the lineconductor with which it is to be used in order more certainly topreserve contact between the collector and the conductor. The collectorg is held against the side of the line conductor h by an elasticpressure produced by one or the other of the springs i is, secured atopposite sides of the arm near the lower end. The spring 7; is fastenedto a lug 11 and is normally stronger than the spring 10, so that it hasa tendency to draw the arm over in its direction and thereby cause it tobear against the opposite side of the conductor h. WVhen, however, it isdesired to cause the arm to be drawn in the opposite direction and bearagainst the other side of the conductor h, greater tension is put uponthe spring k by means of a cord, wire, or chain It, leading aroundsheaves k to a crank or windlass Z, situate on the end of the car orother accessible place where it can be conveniently manipulated by themotorman to give the required tension to the spring is. The rod f, onthe upper end of which the collector or contact roller 9 is mounted,operates as the journal of the roller, turning with it, or the collectorg may be capable of turning on the end of the rod, as shown in Fig. 4.To provide for variations in the altitude of the conductor h, the rod fmay be raised by a cord or rope m, attached to a block or step f belowits lower end, inside of the hollow arm (1. The cord m passes aroundsheaves m to the platform of the car. There is also a cord n attached tothe same side of the arm d to which the spring 11 is attached, whichleads by means of sheaves t' to the platform of the car, the purpose ofwhich is to enable the motorman to adjust the collector g to the desiredside of the conductor h.

The manner of adjusting the collector is as follows: Suppose it isdesired to make contact with the conductor h 011 thet' side. Themotorman increases the tension upon the spring 75 until it overcomes thenormallygreater strength of the spring 1; and pulls the arm d over tothe 1' side by means of the cord at. He then raises the collector abovethe level of the conductor 71 by means of the cord m, then slackens thecord 97. until the collector strikes the side of the conductor 72, andfinally slackens the cord m until the collector descends to its place,with the flange g extending over the top of the wire. The tension of thespring 7.; will cause the collector g to hug the side of the conductor hclosely, and in case the distance between the top of the car and theconductor It increases the flange g will cause the rod f, carrying thecollector, to

draw out of its sheath sufficiently to compensate for such increase ofdistance, while if such distance is decreased the rod f will descendinto its sheath by gravity, and thus contact will be preserved betweenthe collector g and the conductor h, regardless of variations ofdistance between the top of the car and the conductor. If the arm dismade of iron, the rod f maybe insulated therefrom in any convenient way.Electrical connection is made with the motor on the car by means of aconducting-collar o, encircling the rod f, contact being preservedbetween the collar 0 and rod f by means of a spring 0 or other suitabledevice. The insulated circuitwire leads from the collar 0 to the motoron the car by any suitable course.

In Figs. 4 and 6 the rod f is placed in a groove in the side of the arm(I, which is here shown as made of wood, and the collector g turns onthe rod f.

In Fig. 5 I show the collector g (in section) as a straight-sidedcylinder maintained at the level of the conductor h by a spring g". Inthis instance the cord mis fastened to a collar f on the rod f above thespring g, so that when the cord is drawn down it depresses the followerand therebythe collector. The principal object of this construction isto enable the collector to be passed from side to side under theconductor h. It may also be useful in adjusting the altitude of thecollector to correspond with that of the conductor. In this instance thecord n (shown in Figs. 1 and 2) may be omitted, because the cord mperforms its functions.

In Fig. 7 I show another form of collector which may be used withadvantage, as its upper and lower flanges will enable it to adapt itselfvertically to the position of conductor h, whether up or down.

I do not confine myself to any particular form, the important pointbeing to secure a side contact; nor do I limit myself to the use ofrevoluble collector, because I can use a rubbing or sliding collector,the substitution of which for a rolling contact being well known andoften practiced in the art.

The collector g in Figs. 1 and 2 has a tapering body; but it is apparentthat this may be cylindrical. Its characteristic features are thelateral flaring flange at its upper end and its narrower body. Thisconstruction enables it to engage the conductor h and preserve be usedin an inverted position.

its contact therewith, as described, in case the distance between thecar and the conductor is increased. It is apparent that it may It ismade with a tapering recess in one end, which in casting may be coredout, as will be understood. The shell form thus secured gives lightnessand saves in cost of manufacture.

The cord m is used in the construction shown in Figs. 1 and 2 to raisethe collector into position to engage the conductor h and in theconstruction shown in Fig. 5 to depress it to a fixed position or toenable it to pass under the conductor. In either case it is the meansprovided for moving the extensible end or rod f for the purpose ofadjusting the collector.

The drawings are not made to scale, but are intended only to illustratethe invention, so that persons skilled in the art can make and use it.

"What I claim as my invention, and desire to cover by Letters Patent,is-

1. The combination of an electric railway car, an overhead conductorextending parallel to the track, an arm mounted on the car upon ahorizontal pivot, and swinging trans versely to the car, said armsupporting a col lector which'makes contact with the side of theconductor, and means for moving the arm.

2. The combination of an electric railway car, a pivoted arm mountedupon a horizontal pivot on the car and adapted to swing transversely tothe car, a collector mounted on the end of the arm, an overheadconductor extending parallel to the track with which the collectormakeselectrical connection, and

a spring for causing the collector to bear elastically against the. sideof the conductor.

3. The combination of an electric railway car, a pivoted arm mounted onthe car and swinging laterally, a collector supported by the pivoted armwhereby electrical connection may be made with an overhead conductor,springs acting on the opposite sides of the pivoted arm, one of which isnormally stronger than the other, and a tension device connected withthe second spring so that its tension may be increased at willtoovercome the strength of the first spring, substantially as and forthe purposes described.

4. The combination of an electric railway car, a normally verticalpivoted arm mounted thereon and swinging laterally and an electricalcollector extensibly connected with the arm so as to be capable ofmaking contact with overhead conductors of varying altitudes and ofbeing dropped below the conductor for the purpose of transferring itfrom side to side, substantially as described.

5. The combination of an electric railway car, an overhead conductorextending parallel to the track, a vertical flanged collector bearingagainst the side of the conductor and supported on the car by alooselymoving extensible support, whereby it may adapt itself taperingcored out body, substantially as de- IO to varying altitudes of theconductor, subscribed. stantially as described. v Signed and witnessedthis 3d day of June,

6. A collector for the overhead conductor 1890.

i of an electric railway having a lateral flange GEO. WVESTINGHOUSE, IJR.

around its end and atapering body, substantially as and for the purposesdescribed. Witnesses: 7. A collector for overhead conductors hav- THOMASE. KERR, inga lateral flaring flange at one end, and a LEONARD E.CURTIS.

